SFS Chapter 192 Karma
Chapter 192 Karma
The knife that had been hanging over Madam Shen's head came crashing down.
This killer actually came to report her!
Madam Shen tried her best to calm herself down. The only key person was Wei Mama. Wei Mama was already dead, so there was no way to verify the story.
"Your Highness, you cannot conclude that I abducted Tan'er just because I raised her."
"I have experienced the pain of losing my daughter myself, so how could I do such a heinous thing and make another woman suffer the pain of losing her child?"
Madam Shen retorted, "I was looking for my own daughter when I found Tan'er. I mistakenly thought she was my lost daughter, so I rescued her from the hands of evil people and brought her back to the manor to raise her. If Zhu'er hadn't found her herself, I would still have been kept in the dark, thinking that Tan'er was my own flesh and blood."
The Prince of Zhenbei's eyes turned cold and sharp: "So, you're saying I should be grateful to you to the point of tears?"
"That's not necessary. As long as Your Highness doesn't falsely accuse me, that's fine. The Marquis's family raised Tan'er for over ten years. You can't erase the kindness of raising her."
Madam Shen looked wronged: "Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were all exquisite. I specially hired people to teach her manners, etiquette, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, making her famous throughout the capital. If I had known she wasn't my own flesh and blood, why would I have gone to such lengths to cultivate her?"
At this point, she said guiltily, "The only thing the Marquis's family did wrong to her was that she caused a scandal by eloping. In order to give the Duke's family an explanation, the Marquis expelled her from the clan."
"False accusation?" Seeing her taking the opportunity to retaliate, the Prince of Zhenbei sneered, "You think that by dismissing the servants of the villa in the suburbs of the capital, I won't be able to find them?"
Madam Shen's expression suddenly changed drastically. After returning to the capital years ago, she had settled Shen Qingtan in a separate courtyard. Only after Shen Qingtan had forgotten everything did she bring her back to the Marquis's residence to raise her.
She dismissed all the servants in the villa.
Judging from what the Prince of Zhenbei said... he found the person?
The Prince of Zhenbei looked at Shen Shaohuai: "Fourteen years ago, you should have been able to remember things. Your mother couldn't recognize her own daughter, but did you recognize your own sister?"
Shen Shaohuai never expected that this trouble would spread to him, and he couldn't help but wonder about the Prince of Zhenbei's motives.
When the Prince of Zhenbei mentions the villa in the suburbs of Beijing, he must have evidence in his possession.
If you specifically ask him and he doesn't give a satisfactory answer, you might take your anger out on him.
Shen Shaohuai turned his head to look at Madam Shen, meeting her suggestive gaze. Images flashed through his mind of Madam Shen frantically stuffing food into her mouth and then ruthlessly strangling Zhu Yu to death.
Given time, what crazy things will she do when he completely escapes her control?
Shen Shaohuai felt a chill run down his spine just imagining it.
“Your Highness, I was young then and I don’t remember many things clearly.” Shen Shaohuai made a decision, lowered his eyes, and concealed the emotions in them: “My younger sister was missing for more than half a year. When my mother brought her back, I found that she had become more beautiful and adorable than before, and her personality was much more obedient.”
Madam Shen was startled and quickly added, "Huai'er, Tan'er was just brought to the capital. She was frightened and is recuperating in the villa. She only returned to the Marquis's mansion after she recovered. You think she is more beautiful and lovely than before, that's because she has grown up."
As long as her son agrees with her, even if the Prince of Zhenbei finds servants from his villa, she can still exonerate herself.
So what if the Prince of Zhenbei and Shen Qingtan know she stole and kidnapped?
Unless strong evidence is presented, she cannot be charged.
At that time, Princess Yizhen's belongings might even save her life.
Sure enough, Shen Shaohuai nodded: "Your Highness, my mother was confused by her concern and there was also the effect of transference, which is why she mistook Tan'er for her own flesh and blood."
"Mother found Tan'er at the Lantern Festival in Nanling Prefecture. Tan'er was fair-skinned and delicate, and very lovely. It is said that after she got lost, she was adopted by a wealthy family."
"When her mother brought Tan'er back to the Marquis's mansion, she called out to her eldest brother, second brother, and third brother. Her mother said that the family that adopted her had three sons, and the fact that she was so concerned about her brothers showed that the family treated her very well."
"Not long after, Tan'er fell ill, and her mother took care of her day and night. In a whole month, her mother lost a lot of weight and looked much more haggard."
"Fortunately, after Tan'er recovered from her illness, she forgot all about the family that adopted her and started to get close to us."
At this point, Shen Shaohuai looked up at the Prince of Zhenbei: "Your Highness, if my mother knew that Tan'er was not her own flesh and blood, why would she take such good care of her? She would just leave her to be cared for by servants."
Upon hearing Shen Shaohuai's words, Madam Shen felt as if her heart had fallen into an ice cave.
Shen Shaohuai is lying.
She never mentioned that Shen Qingtan was adopted by a wealthy family.
Moreover, Shen Qingtan returned to the Marquis's residence after recovering from her illness. By then, she had long forgotten everything and never addressed Shen Shaohuai as "eldest brother," "second brother," or "third brother."
Shen Shaohuai's words to the Prince of Zhenbei seemed to be an attempt to exonerate her, but in reality, they contradicted her previous sophistry and pinned a crime on her.
The troupe leader was imprisoned.
Although the troupe leader had never seen her face, he had personally taken Shen Qingtan away. Given Shen Qingtan's special circumstances, the troupe leader would probably remember her attire in detail.
When the time comes, we can confront Gu Zongci and expose her lies.
The troupe leader abducted Shen Qingtan at the lantern festival.
She found Shen Qingtan at the lantern festival.
Not only did the time match, but the location also coincided.
She could have continued to argue and make excuses, but now that Shen Shaohuai's words were half true and half false, it had basically confirmed her crime of kidnapping Shen Qingtan.
Because no one would believe that a biological son would lie and frame his own mother.
Madam Shen looked at Shen Shaohuai in disbelief, never dreaming that the person who would betray her in the end would be her highly valued son.
Shen Shaohuai kept his head down and did not look at Madam Shen.
The Prince of Zhenbei will not let the real culprit who kidnapped Shen Qingtan get away with it.
If he does not comply with the wishes of the Prince of Zhenbei, he will also be purged.
Shen Shaohuai wanted to live, to live without being controlled by others.
If the mother survives, she won't be able to control him and will continue to hurt herself, forcing him to compromise. Or she might kill him and then live in agony.
It would be better to... free her now.
"Why..." Madam Shen asked, her lips trembling.
Anyone can betray her, but Shen Shaohuai is the only one who cannot.
But it was Shen Shaohuai who betrayed her!
"Mother, I'm telling the truth." Shen Shaohuai turned his head to look at Madam Shen's paper-white face, clenching his fists: "Where did I say something wrong?"
These words were like a sharp blade piercing her heart, shattering it.
Madam Shen stared intently at Shen Shaohuai, her hope gradually extinguished, leaving only despair.
Her son could have saved her. But instead of saving her, he cruelly pushed her into the abyss.
Madam Shen couldn't bear the blow; a metallic taste rose in her throat.
“You did nothing wrong, how could you be wrong…” Madam Shen coughed violently, then laughed, her laughter particularly chilling: “Cause and effect, this is cause and effect.”
Emperor Jing'an looked strange, as if he couldn't quite process the news he had just heard.
The daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei is actually Shen Qingtan?